Seed Funding Grant Program Now Open  |  Advanced Materials Innovation Challenge Applications Now Open

NYS Seed Funding Grant Program for Early Stage Businesses Impacted by COVID-19

This grant program will provide flexible grants to support early stage, micro and small businesses in a recovering New York State economy. The program will ensure that small businesses that opened shortly before or during the COVID-19 pandemic, have the funds to continue to operate and grow. The application portal opened as of September 14, 2022. Governor Hochul states, "This first-in-the-nation Seed Funding Grant Program rounds out $1 billion in flexible funding to support both early-stage, and established small and micro-businesses. New York businesses were among the hardest hit nationwide at the height of the pandemic, but with this funding, we're extending a lifeline to help them continue to grow and operate. Applications open tomorrow, and I encourage all New York business owners to take full advantage and be a part of New York's remarkable recovery." The application and eligibility requirements can be found here.  

Empire State Development Announces Applications Open for the New York State Advanced Materials Innovation Challenge

Will Leverage the Power of Advanced Materials to Promote Greater Environmental Sustainability and Drive Innovation Across the State. Empire State Development (ESD) announced the New York State Advanced Materials Innovation Challenge is open and accepting applications through September 30. New York State-based innovators are encouraged to submit projects for the Advanced Materials Innovation Challenge that achieve one or more of these goals:

• Reduce the use of toxic chemicals during manufacturing.
• Shorten the supply chain to use locally-sourced and sustainable materials instead of materials that require long-distance transportation.
• Identify, develop and/or validate alternative sustainable materials.
• Reduce or eliminate the creation of harmful byproducts during manufacturing.
• Reduce landfilling and/or repurpose waste from manufacturing or product end-of-life.

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight states, “Advances in materials science are providing groundbreaking opportunities to replace or reduce the use of toxic or excessive materials in manufacturing while also developing new and improved high-performance products. The strongest proposals for the New York State Innovation Challenge will deliver positive change by using or developing advanced materials that are themselves sustainable while creating applications that promote environmental sustainability.” Read the full announcement here More details, including guidelines and the application, are available on Fuzehub's website here